


Golden Respite

by Senigata



Series: Hopeful Horizons [7]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: And Zerith, And of course Cloti, F/M, Gen, Girls hanging out, Just a little bit of Clerith, Light-Hearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 07:03:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21175376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senigata/pseuds/Senigata
Summary: [Sequel to Emerald Dream]After their little adventure in the Gold Saucer, the group decided to take a well deserved break before continuing on their journey to stop Sephiroth. As Tifa was contemplating what she should do with her free time, she was approached by none other than Aerith, asking for her help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> How ya been guys?  
Here we are with a brand new entry to my little fic series. Hope you'll enjoy.

**Golden** ** Respite**

Tifa was staring at a huge digital clock as it counted down the last few seconds, a feeling of excitement washing over her as she was standing in one of the many stands of Chocobo Square. All around her people cheered as the starting signal echoed through the riding arena and the race began. Her eyes followed the differently colored Chocobos as they entered the track.

She loved Chocobos. They were so cute and their feathers were so fluffy to the touch. Tifa wished they could have kept the ones they had tamed on the eastern continent to pass through the swamps, but alas, they had nowhere to keep them.

_Maybe one day_, she thought as she watched the jockeys on their Chocobos. Watching Cloud race yesterday had been exciting, and not just because the prize was their freedom from prison, but because she would have loved to be in Cloud's place at the time.

She was pretty sure she had made a fool out of herself while cheering him on, if the amused looks her friends had been giving her were any indication.

What could she do? She was just a Chocobogirl through and through.

"_Oh Cloud,"_ she heard herself giggle inside her mind. "_Your hair looks just like a Chocobo!"_

She felt a blush creep onto her face as she remembered those words. Yeah, Chocobogirl indeed.

After returning from prison they had decided to take a break for a few days while their present from Dio was being prepared, a decision that she had supported since their day off in Costa del Sol had nearly not been enough after that nearly non-stop chase after Sephiroth to Junon and then actually encountering him on the ship. It was a little too much for her.

Not helping that fact was that they had encountered poor Johnny in the coastal town with his new girlfriend, and she had to break the news about his parents to him. The rest of the day she had spent between mourning and remembering the good times with him.

Though she had to admit it was strange that Cloud had come by to check in on her. Had he been jealous, perhaps?

Her heart raced a little at the prospect that her spending time with other men might bother him. Not like there was anything to worry about in that regard. Her interest was firmly set on Cloud, as much as she was unable to admit it towards the man himself. Sometimes she wished she was her 15 year old self again, putting on a bit of a provocative outfit in hopes that Cloud was one of the SOLDIERs that were deployed to her town. But she had changed.

Nibelheim...

She knew that the trail they were following would lead them there sooner or later. It was another reason she wasn't against taking some time off at the Gold Saucer. Walking upon the ashes of her hometown was not exactly something she was looking forward to.

Tifa was shaken out of her reverie when someone next to her bumped into her. She returned her gaze back to the track and saw that the Chocobos were about to pass by her stand. Pulling out her phone, she pushed her way to the front, covered by a large window that could withstand any of the giant birds crashing into it. With a press of her thumb she switched to camera mode and angled the phone, focusing on the bright green mountain Chocobo closest to her side of the track.

Just as it was about to pass by her, she snapped a picture. Tifa lowered her phone and her lips curled up into a little grin as she inspected it. A really good shot, if she might say so herself.

Putting her phone away she resumed to watch the rest of the race and was pleasantly surprised when it was the very same bird that won. Maybe she should have bet some money on it.

After leaving the stand she moved to the exit of Chocobo Square, pulled the phone out once more, and scrolled through the photos she had taken so far. The little Chocobo dance at the Ranch with a bewildered looking Cloud standing in front of the fence, their first tamed Chocobo, a little group photo with Priscilla the day after Cloud rescued her, and of course a quick snapshot of Barret in his sailor suit that he could never, ever learn of.

After looking at them she scrolled down to one of the photos that Jessie had sent her with what little time she had left, a sad little smile on her lips.

With Jessie gone, Tifa had taken to gathering 'memories' of their journey; it was her way of honoring her fallen friend. Still, she wished Jessie could see all this for herself.

Releasing a sigh she put her phone back into her pocket and put her hands on the railing, looking out towards the rest of the Gold Saucer.

Her friends were dead. She couldn't change that fact. All she could do now was to make sure their deaths weren't in vain. That meant stopping Shinra and Sephiroth from getting to the Promised Land, wherever that was.

_Alright, enough moping around,_ Tifa chastised herself. They were here to relax and have some fun.

Taking a deep breath she smiled lightly, wondering what she should do next. Maybe join Cloud at the Battle Square? He seemed very adamant to win something.

She was turning towards one of the two exits when she heard her name being called. Turning around, she saw a certain flower girl running towards her from the other exit. Tifa blinked in surprise when the other woman came to a stop in front of her, slightly out of breath.

"Hey!" Aerith greeted her after catching her breath a little. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Me?" Tifa pointed at herself.

"Uh huh." Aerith nodded, then her face became a little sheepish. "I kinda have a favor to ask."

Tifa's arched an eyebrow in curiosity. Aerith was a strange one. Of course so were all of them, but Aerith was different, and not just because she was the last of the Ancients. She never had left Midgar before, so everything was new and exciting for her, making her want to experience everything at once. It was hard not to be infected by her enthusiasm.

Tifa liked her, despite the spark of jealousy inside her chest when she saw how forward she was towards Cloud and how easy she managed to get along with him. She could tell there was a connection between them, but of what nature she was not sure, and that brought on a whole different set of anxieties.

Besides, she had comforted Tifa when she had been at her lowest, and that meant a lot.

"OK, shoot," Tifa replied after a short moment.

"I, uh, kinda want to apologize to Barret," she said and folded her hands together. "You know, for having been so callous to him."

Yeah, she remembered that one. And yes, she had been pretty callous, even if she hadn't known the full story.

"I think that's a good idea," Tifa said and a smile formed on her lips.

"Well, and with Cloud holing himself up in Battle Square you're the only other one that knows Barret best and can help me apologize to him."

She tried to imagine Aerith asking Cloud for advice and had to hold herself back from giggling at the mental image of Cloud drawing a total blank on that one.

"Sure, I can help ya with that," she said to Aerith, and the other woman beamed at her, grabbing her hands.

"Thank you!" Aerith said and gave both of her hands a little squeeze. "So, what would be the best approach?"

"Easy." She shrugged. "Get something for Marlene."

Honestly, being good to his daughter was the easiest way to get into Barret's good graces.

"Huh, that makes sense." Aerith let go of her hands and walked around a bit. "But everything here is so pricey..."

"Unless," Tifa said, putting a hand on her hip. "You win something."

Aerith snapped her fingers, then pointed at Tifa. "That's it. We're going over to Wonder Square right now!"

Before Tifa could say anything, Aerith looped her arm around hers and dragged her towards the exit, saying, "come on, come on!"

Tifa shook her head, but still smiled as she was being led around by the other woman. Seems like what she would be doing had been decided for her.

Wonder Square was packed with people of course, with all the games it provided, it had something for everyone, be it children or adults. In the distance she could spot Yuffie playing some sort of dancing rhythm game, a large crowd around her, and Cait Sith, their newest friend, cheering her on with his megaphone.

"Well, those two are having fun," Aerith giggled and turned to look at her. "Guess we should follow their example."

"I thought we were gonna try to win something for Barret?" Tifa quipped in amusement.

"We can still have fun doing so!" Aerith exclaimed and started to drag her around towards one of the many arcades here. "So what do you think Marlene would like?"

"Hmm, anything, really," Tifa said. "As you can imagine, growing up in the slums doesn't exactly provide you with a great deal of toys."

She watched as Aerith's face grew somber for a moment. She also grew up in the slums. Even if her home was a bit fancier than average, she probably didn't have a lot of toys as a child, either. Her smile returned full force. "So how about a plush toy?"

"Never can go wrong with those," Tifa agreed and looked around the arcade until she spied a huge claw machine filled with all assortments of toys. Tapping Aerith's shoulder to get her attention, she pointed towards the machine.

They both walked over and Aerith gave it a once over. "Aren't those things geared towards wasting a lot of money?"

"Isn't that the Gold Saucer in a nutshell?" Tifa shot back.

"Point taken," she said and slipped a GP coin into the slot, then stepped behind the controls. Tifa took a step closer to her to look over the other woman's shoulder.

"So what are you aiming for?" she asked.

"Hmm." Aerith hummed and tapped her finger against her chin, then pointed a finger at a plushy. "How about that one?"

"The Cactuar with the flower on top?"

"Yeah!" Aerith giggled. "Cactuars have a rough exterior with all their thorns, but are so adorable. Kinda like Barret, he's also really sweet deep inside."

Tifa snorted before breaking out into laughter at Aerith's description of Barret. Aerith looked at her before bursting into laughter as well.

"Don't let Barret hear you say that about him," Tifa said after calming down, still giggling a little.

"You mean how he should never see that photo you took of him?"

"You saw that?" Tifa gasped with a huge grin.

"Yeah!" she nodded vigorously. "It was like one second you had your phone in your hand and in the next you had already slipped it back under your uniform!"

"It came out pretty good, too!" They laughed again. Poor Barret. Here they were trying to help Aerith apologize to the man, but were instead making fun of him.

"You gotta show me later," Aerith said, then grew overly serious. "But now we have to get that Cactuar, or all is lost."

"Well, focus then!"

They both turned towards the claw machine and Aerith put her hands on the controls. Taking a deep breath she started to move the claw into the direction of the plushy she was aiming for.

"Slowly, slowly," Aerith murmured and she managed to stop the claw just above the Cactuar. "Nice, now just press this button."

She pressed the button that lowered the claw and they both watched with bated breath as it grabbed the toy, lifted it up—

"Yes, yes!"

—and dropped it again.

"No, no!" Aerith's shoulders slumped and she released a disappointed sigh. "Crap."

Tifa giggled at hearing Aerith curse. That was definitely a first, guess she _was_ a slum girl through and through after all.

"Oh well, can't pull it off first try all the time," she said with a shrug and put in another GP coin to try again.

She repeated the same steps for about the same result, only this time the Cactuar slipped through the claw almost instantly.

"What the—" and another coin went in.

And another.

And after that, another one.

Tifa tapped Aerith on the shoulder. "May I?"

"Sure," Aerith said and moved to the side, glaring daggers at the plush. "That thing is shaped to always fall down, I'm sure."

"Why not try another one, then?" Tifa asked.

"No! It's personal now."

Tifa chuckled and put in a coin. Her try was only marginally more successful than Aerith's in that she managed to move it some before it slipped out.

"This thing is worse than those gacha machines at Wall Market," Aerith muttered and shook her head, her hazel hair moving with the motion.

"You tried those things?" Tifa asked as she put in another coin and aimed for the Cactuar.

"Hmm?" Aerith looked at her in confusion for a moment. "Oh! Yeah. While Cloud was getting all dolled up by a girl in the Honeybee Inn, I tried my luck at one of them. What a money sink, let me tell you."

"Yeah, I heard those were pretty bad." Wait, did she just hear that right? "Wait, what was that about Cloud in the Honeybee!?"

Not paying attention to what she was doing, her finger slipped and the claw grabbed nothing but air.

"Dammit!" Next to her, Aerith giggled and playfully bumped her hip against hers to make her step aside.

"So much for that," she said with a little grin. "And don't worry, it was for a good cause: rescuing you."

Heat rushed into her face and she hoped the lighting would hide her blush, but Aerith giving her a knowing look dashed those hopes instantly.

Another coin went into the machine but unlike the other times, a miracle seemed to happen, and the Cactuar stayed inside the claw.

"Yesyesyesyes!" Aerith cheered and clapped as the claw carried the Cactuar over to the hatch and came to a stop over it.

And remained so.

"Huh?" Tifa tilted her head to the side.

"Shouldn't the claw open up and drop it?" Aerith asked and pressed the button again, but nothing happened. Letting out a frustrated groan she slapped the armature. "Dammit, what now?"

"Ask someone from the staff here to get it for you?" Tifa offered. "You got this one fair and square. It's just stuck."

Aerith looked around. "I don't see anyone. Should we look around?"

"Hmm." Tifa looked at the machine, then also took a look around to see if someone was watching. _All clear._ Taking a step back, she gave the machine a hard kick, causing it to shake. Looking at the Cactuar, Tifa noticed that it had come loose just a little bit.

"Do it again!"

She kicked it a second and third time, slowly prying it free until it finally fell down into the hatch after the fourth kick. Aerith immediately went to pick up the toy and held it to her chest. With a huge smile she threw an arm around Tifa's shoulders in a hug.

"My hero!" she said and playfully batted her eyelashes, making Tifa chuckle.

"I guess we better go though," she replied as she noticed someone from the staff walking over to them. Seems like their little stunt hadn't gone entirely unnoticed. Aerith followed her line of sight and let out a huff.

"Oh, so now someone is here, huh?" she grinned at Tifa. "Race you to the exit!"

Laughing, they both ran out of the arcade and towards one of Wonder Square's exits before the staff member even had the chance to catch up to them. By the time they stopped, they had arrived at the Terminal floor that connected all squares with each other.

"Well, that was exciting," Aerith said and held out the Cactuar plushy in front of herself. "Now we only need to get this little guy to Barret."

"Let's try at the inn," Tifa suggested, and they headed off to Ghost Square. She had to wonder why they were staying in the one inn in the Gold Saucer that had a horror theme. Probably Cloud finding it funny, of course. She cringed a little when that shrill laughter echoed in the air as they passed by some tombstones. At least the beds were great.

They went up the spooky looking stairs, past the giant devil head, and towards the room that Barret slept in. Aerith knocked on the door and they waited for a reaction.

"Come in," they heard Red XIII's voice call out, and they entered the room. The cat-like creature was the only one that was able to share the room with Barret, since he didn't seem to be disturbed by the man's snoring at all. He looked at them as he was lying on the floor, his tail swishing lazily over the ground, and Tifa had to wonder how the carpet wasn't going up in flames. "Aerith, Tifa, what brings you two here?"

"Sorry to disturb you," Aerith said. "But would you know where Barret is?"

"You didn't disturb me, don't worry. Hmm, I think he mentioned something about going for a walk to 'clear his head'," he told them. "Sorry if that's not exactly helpful."

After what happened yesterday she couldn't really fault the man for needing some time to himself. She just hoped he would be in the mood for an apology.

"Thanks," Tifa said with a smile and Aerith bent down to scratch Red XIII behind the ear, something he seemed to enjoy quite a bit from his expression.

After they had left the inn, Aerith turned towards her. "Where do you think he went?"

That was a tough one. Barret had lost his best friend yesterday, as crazy as the man had become. Maybe a bar? No, drowning his sorrows wasn't his style. Which left...

"Let's try one of the observation decks pointing eastward," she said as they left Ghost Square behind.

There were quite a few of those, but, indeed, after some time they found Barret in one, looking out at the horizon, roughly in the direction of where Midgar was located, past the far off sea that could barely be made out from there. He was leaning on the railing, holding the necklace Dyne had given him in his remaining hand.

Aerith looked a little unsure on how to proceed, another first today, but Tifa just smiled at her and nodded in his direction. The flower girl took a little breath and hid the little plushy behind her back as they both walked towards the man.

"Barret?" Aerith called out. That seemed to wake him from whatever reverie he was in and he looked over his shoulder before turning around to fully face them.

"Aerith, Tifa?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "What brings ya here?"

"We, well actually Aerith, was looking for you," Tifa said, folding her hands behind her back.

"That so?" Barret turned his head to look at the flower girl.

"I...I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday," Aerith said, a little bashfully. "I was a bit overexcited about this place and didn't think about your feelings."

Barret closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. "It's alright. Ya didn't know the whole story."

Aerith shook her head. "Still, it was uncalled for. I'm sorry."

As she apologized she pulled the plushy from behind her back and held it out towards Barret.

His other eyebrow shot up to join its twin. "And what's this?"

"A gift. For Marlene," Aerith explained and a huge smile formed on her face. Tifa watched as amusement started to shine in his eyes as he put the necklace away and took hold of the little Cactuar in his giant hand.

"Bribin' me with my little girl, huh?" he asked good naturedly and turned his eyes towards Tifa. "Wonder who told ya that one?"

"Guilty as charged," Tifa chuckled.

"Thanks, I'm sure she'll love it," Barret then said, a smile forming on his face. "And don't worry, we're good."

Aerith released a sigh of relief.

"Now why don't ya two go along and have some fun? I still need some time to myself for a lil' while longer."

Tifa nodded. "Just remember, you can talk to us."

"Don't worry, I know," he said and waved the little Cactuar around as he turned to look at the horizon again, where the sun was beginning to set. Taking that as their cue, the two women left the observation deck.

"What now?" Tifa asked.

"Go back to the hotel and have a drink?" Aerith offered. "I think I could use one right now."

"Sure, fine by me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

After they returned to the hotel, they went into the restaurant attached to it and sat down at the bar, where some poor sod in a werewolf costume made them their drinks.

"Ooooh, this is so good," Aerith said after her first sip.

"Hmm, yeah, not bad."

"Huh, guess there speaks the bar owner," Aerith quipped and playfully pushed her shoulder.

"Something like that," Tifa replied with a little smirk. "It's just...something's missing from this one."

"So how was it?"

"Was what?" Tifa looked at her questioningly.

"Owning a bar?"

Tifa placed her glass back down on the counter and ran a finger along its edge. "It was certainly different compared to before I inherited the place. A lot of managing, running numbers, and of course having to work in the kitchen and behind the bar. But..." She nodded. "It was fun. Lots of happy memories in that place."

"I'm sorry," Aerith said and gently placed a hand on the shoulder she had just playfully pushed.

"Don't be. There's bigger things to focus on now."

"That doesn't mean you can't feel sad, you know?"

"I know." Tifa offered her a melancholic smile. "But I know they wouldn't want me to be sad, and remember the good times instead."

"I see. You're a strong person," Aerith said.

"Not as strong as you might think."

"Nonsense." Aerith took another sip of her drink, then placed her glass on the counter as well. "You're strong. Whenever one of us feels down, or questions themselves, you're there to pick us up. We all rely on you. Especially Cloud."

At the mention of him Tifa averted her eyes. "R-really?"

"Of course! Haven't you noticed him always running his travel plans by you? Your opinion matters a great deal."

He really did, didn't he? She never really paid attention to that, mostly because her mind was always torn between her feelings for him and her worry about their conflicting memories. Never mind his closeness with the very girl she was currently talking to.

"S-so, tell me, how was it growing up in the slums?" she immediately changed the topic. Aerith cocked an eyebrow and grasped her glass for another sip.

"It was scary at first. I just lost my mother and I was in a place I didn't know, with a stranger that just so happened to be kind enough to take a little girl in," she said after a moment of silence. "But I got used to it quickly, learned the ins and outs of the slums. Even when Shinra appeared it was more of a nuisance to me, really. They didn't dare harm me. But they were persistent."

She took another sip. "And even if she didn't give birth to me, Elmyra is and will always be my mother."

"We're not so different," Tifa said. "I wasn't as young as you, but I also found myself thrown into the slums after Nibelheim. And it was a kind stranger that took it upon himself to care for me, even if he had nothing to gain from it."

"Was he...?"

"Oh no no," Tifa assured her. "He lives in the slums of Sector 3. Owns a clinic there. His name is Eisuke Hiragi."

"He sounds like a good man," Aerith said with a little smile.

"He is."

"Have you reached out to him? To tell him you're alright."

"There wasn't exactly a lot of time after our escape." Tifa brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Besides, I'm kinda afraid."

Aerith blinked. "Afraid of what?"

"Of what he might think. I never told him about Avalanche. I wanted him to stay out of it, because I already burdened him enough as it is." She sighed and looked deep into her glass. "That probably sounds silly."

"No, not at all. But Tifa, maybe consider letting him know that you're alright. Maybe when things are a bit calmer?" Aerith suggested.

Tifa nodded. She was right, she probably should. But not right now. Not with things still being as confusing as they were with Cloud.

_One problem at a time,_ she thought.

A giggle from Aerith made her look towards the other woman. "What?"

"You know, with us both being taken in by kind strangers it almost feels like we're sisters!"

Tifa scoffed, but couldn't help the little grin forming on her lips. The flower girl in turn raised her glass and held it out towards her.

"To kind strangers taking in girls in need," she said.

"I'll drink to that," Tifa replied and clanked her glass against Aerith's.

After the two finished their drinks they ordered another round. And one after that. Tifa, having worked in a bar for years, enjoyed a drink here and there and had a pretty high tolerance for the stuff. The drinks weren't even that strong either, a clever tactic to make customers order more. But Aerith, on the other hand, didn't have much experience drinking and was thus pretty tipsy.

But she was having fun, so Tifa didn't stop her just yet. They were laughing and talking about this or that, nothing in particular, really. That was until Aerith decided to drop a bombshell on her.

"So, Tifa," Aerith said and leaned closer to her, draping an arm over her shoulders. "Ever kissed a girl before?"

Tifa's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the choice of topic and the sudden closeness. Was she—?

_No, can't be. She's probably just teasing,_ she thought. It was certainly a private topic, but she was in a good mood and why not humor her?

"As a matter of fact, I have," Tifa replied with a little smile and drank her drink.

She watched Aerith's eyes widen a little in surprise, before that teasing glint returned to those green eyes of hers. "Oho! So how did it feel?"

Her mind wandered back to the kiss she had shared with Jessie once. How soft her lips had been against her own, so unlike a man's.

"Different," Tifa said simply.

"Aww, come on," Aerith said and shook her a little. "Gimme the dirt, girl!"

"It was just...different. It's hard to describe. I...I don't have much experience," she said the last part in a small voice, face flush in embarrassment.

"Hmm. I see." Aerith removed her arm and proceeded to cross it with her other one in front of her chest. "Must feel quite different from Cloud, I wager."

If at all possible her blush intensified. "I-I wouldn't know!"

"Ah, but I bet you'd like to know."

"You mean like you do?" Tifa shot back, looking down onto the counter. And here it was back to Cloud again, a topic she'd honestly rather avoid.

"I _do_ owe him a date," Aerith said. As Tifa heard those words she found herself gripping her glass tightly. She liked Aerith, she really did. In fact, sometimes she felt that it would be better to dislike her so this whole Cloud situation would be more clear cut.

A hand placed itself on top of hers and gave it a little squeeze, making her loosen her grip and release a sigh. "You know we're just childhood friends."

"That's a load of crap," Aerith said bluntly, making Tifa turn to look at her and almost fall out of her seat at how close the other woman's face was, flushed red from the alcohol. "You should be more honest with yourself, you know?"

Aerith gripped both of her shoulders and shook her a little. "You gotta take some chances, girl! Or someone else eventually will. Yeah, I owe him a date, and I find him pretty cute and I'm aggressive about it. But I don't own his feelings."

Tifa, meanwhile, could only stare wide eyed at Aerith's outburst while she was being shaken. Maybe she had too much to drink after all and had just been too good at hiding it?

"So if there's even a sliver of a chance that he likes you back, you gotta take it. I won't hold it against you!" Aerith told her. "Also I know for a fact that Yuffie has a crush on him and she definitely isn't one to take a backseat, so what's it gonna be?"

Could they really do this without things going sour between them? Or wouldn't it just be better to take a step back from it and let Aerith have her chance?

_But what if she's right?_ she wondered. What if Cloud did have feelings for her as well?

The part of her that had loved him for so long leaped in joy at the prospect of him reciprocating her feelings, but the part of her that doubted herself fought back. In the end, the decision was seemingly taken from her, as she noticed Aerith looking past her, her eyes lighting up a little.

"Speak of the devil. Hey, Cloud!" Aerith called out and lifted a hand, waving it in the direction of the entrance. Tifa immediately pushed Aerith's other hand off her and turned around to see that Cloud really was walking towards them, something slung over his shoulder.

She swallowed and her heart thumped loudly inside her chest. He didn't hear anything, did he? "H-hi."

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, looking between the two of them.

"Oh not at all!" Aerith said cheerfully. "Just talking and having a drink."

Cloud raised an eyebrow and shrugged, then turned to Tifa. "Got something for ya."

"F-for me?" Tifa asked.

"Mhm." he nodded and handed her the object he had slung over his shoulder. A belt, as she was noticing now.

"What's that?"

"The champion's belt," he said like it was no biggy. "I heard it could enhance physical prowess and instantly thought of you."

"I—thank you, Cloud," Tifa said and took the offered item, looking at it in amazement. Did he really hole himself up inside the Battle Square just to win her that?

Her heart made a small flutter of joy and she felt a smile creep onto her lips. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aerith give her a knowing look as she rose to her feet.

"As I was saying, I better get going," Aerith said and let out a little yelp as she stumbled, but managed to put a hand on the counter to support herself.

"Take it as a little head start," she whispered into Tifa's ear and gave her a little wink before pushing herself back on her feet. "Wow! Too much to drink. Yup, better go lie down. Have fun, you two!"

Tifa and Cloud watched as the flower girl left the restaurant, this time without stumbling. Once Aerith was out of sight she turned towards Cloud, thinking back to what Aerith had just told her.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she gripped the belt tightly and gave Cloud a smile, asking: "Fancy a drink with me?"

Cloud shrugged and gave her a little smile. "Sure."

She watched him sit down and order his drink, before turning towards her. "So what have you been doing all day?"

Tifa let out a little laugh, before she started to tell him of her day. And as they talked, she found that taking chances might not be so bad.

Perhaps if they returned to this place they could spend some time together, just the two of them?

* * *

It was later that evening when she returned to the room she was sharing with Aerith. She found the flower girl lying on top of her bed, her boots discarded somewhere and looking like she had sobered up some as read a magazine.

"How did it go?" she asked with a smile after Tifa had closed the door.

"We just talked over a drink," Tifa said, sitting down on her own bed and putting the belt on the nightstand before starting to unlace her boots. "But we had fun."

"Good going, girl." Aerith put the magazine away. "So anything special you talked about?"

"About our day and some other small talk," she shrugged with a small smile. "Where we're going next. So nothing interesting I suppose."

Aerith let out a disappointed sigh. "As long as you had fun."

"We did." Her smile grew a little bigger. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They fell into a comfortable silence, and after Tifa had removed her boots she proceeded to lie down as well. After a while Aerith spoke up, her tone uncharacteristically serious.

"You know, I want to be open with you. Cloud reminds me of my previous boyfriend," Aerith admitted. Tifa pushed herself up on her elbows to look at the other woman. She looked downright vulnerable right now. "I told Cloud that it wasn't anything serious, but to me it was. I was, no, we were happy. But then one day he left and never returned. That was years ago."

Aerith released a shaky sigh. "I don't know what happened. Maybe he found another girl more to his liking? That's better than the alternative, I suppose..."

Tifa looked at Aerith and just from the look in her eyes, she could tell that it still hurt her to this day. Slowly she got out of bed and sat down next to the flower girl, placing a hand on her shoulder the same way Aerith had done earlier. The other woman gave her a sad smile. "Thanks."

They fell silent again for a moment but this time it was Tifa who broke it. "You know that girl I kissed?"

"What about her?"

"It was Jessie. One of my friends from Avalanche." Tifa sighed and shook her head. Pulling out her phone, she opened up a picture of Jessie and her to show Aerith. "She was the one in charge of our tech."

"She looks pretty," Aerith commented.

Tifa chuckled. "And quite the flirt too. I think the two of you would have gotten along great."

"Were you two together?"

"No. It was just a date and we shared a kiss, but in the end decided we were better off as friends," she told Aerith. "When I snuck out to spy on Corneo it was her that helped me get ready. If I knew what was about to happen I'd have asked her to come along."

Tifa scrolled through the pictures that Jessie had sent her one by one. "I received those in Kalm. She must have sent them just before it happened."

"You clearly were important to her," Aerith said.

"Yeah." Sometimes she found herself wondering just how important. "Jessie always liked to take pictures, you know, collecting 'memories'."

"Is that why you're doing it now, to honor her memory?"

"Yes. And because it's actually fun," she chuckled. Then something dawned on her. "I saw you back then."

"Back when?"

"During our date. We were on top of the plate in Sector 8 and on the way to Club Shiva when I saw you selling flowers near the theater."

Aerith giggled. "That area was always one of my better sale places. Must be all that partying and dating up there."

"I was actually considering buying a flower for the shop. Funny coincidence. We could've met so much earlier," Tifa said in wonderment.

"Guess it was fate?" Aerith said and bumped her shoulder against Tifa. "Club Shiva though? How did you manage that one?"

"Jessie hacked the club's database and set herself up as a fake VIP."

They shared a laugh at that one.

"Sounds like she was a fun person, alright. Like you said, we might have gotten along quite well."

"She would've just shamelessly flirted with you."

"Who knows?" Aerith winked at her. "Maybe I would've flirted right back."

"I don't think anyone would've been able to take that," Tifa chuckled. "Hey, wanna take one?"

"A photo?"

"Yeah." Tifa nodded.

"How about tomorrow?" Aerith yawned. "I'm starting to get tired. Besides the lighting here is terrible."

"Fine by me."

* * *

And so they did. The very next day, as they stood in front of their newly acquired buggy, they asked Cloud to take one of them together. Tifa stood with a hand on her hip, while Aerith held onto her arm and did a little V-sign with her fingers, as they both smiled into the camera.

Cloud released a mixture of scoff and chuckle, but did as he was asked to.

After that their group entered the buggy, Tifa sat down behind the wheel, having offered to take the first driving shift of the day. After everyone had gotten seated, Cait Sith having a little trouble due to the size of whatever it was he was riding, Cloud gave her a thumbs up to signal that they were ready.

Turning the key, the engine came to life and Tifa pressed her foot down on the gas pedal as she drove the vehicle out of the huge garage.

Leaving the Gold Saucer behind, they continued their journey through the Corel Desert towards the next destination that Cloud had discussed with her the previous evening, before she had returned to her room.

Some place called Gongaga.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap. I thought writing something light hearted after Emerald Dream would be just the right thing to soothe my and your souls. Fun fact: This was actually a one shot, but when I noticed I wrote over 6k words I decided to split it into two chapters for better reading convience.
> 
> Well I hope you enjoyed this one, because next week we're gonna go into some drama and angst territory with its sequel. Until then, have a good one!
> 
> Read & review!


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